"You're really willing to help me ask?"
Song Shi'an scrutinized Song Qin with suspicion.
"What, you actually want to go home?" Song Qin asked curiously.
"Isn't that obvious? Who wants to wander around outside?" Song Shi'an replied without hesitation.
"I thought you'd really grown bold enough to be so arrogant." Song Qin found it hard to believe, then asked teasingly, "So you don't dare go home because you're afraid Father will beat you to death?"
"Of course."
"If Father promises not to beat you to death, will you go home?"
"No, beating me half to death won't work either."
Song Shi'an said seriously.
"What if he promises not to beat you half to death, then will you go home?"
"Beating me into disability won't work either."
"You're really so troublesome..."
Song Qin glanced at him with some impatience, then confirmed: "If Father agrees not to beat you to death or into disability, you'll be willing to come home, right?"
"Right, no problem with that."
Song Shi'an nodded solemnly.
"Good, then I'll go back and discuss it with Father. If he's willing, I'll send someone to inform you, and then you can come home." Song Qin proposed.
"That would be wonderful, wonderful."
Song Shi'an nodded simply.
"At the Hour of Shen, wait at this bookstall. A servant will come to meet with you." Song Qin said.
After she said this, Song Shi'an clasped his hands together and slowly bowed to Song Qin very formally, expressing his gratitude: "Thank you, Miss. If this succeeds, I will definitely repay you generously."
"It's nothing, it's nothing."
Being thanked so respectfully, Song Qin revealed a satisfied smile.
Then she turned around and casually waved her hand at him.
Watching the young lady walk away, Song Shi'an, who had just been devoutly honest, immediately showed his true colors, lazily holding Spring Garden in one hand, turning to walk while reading.
………
"Father, I ran into Song Shi'an at the Scholar's Inn."
After returning to the estate, Song Qin found Song Jing alone. In his study, she carefully yet directly brought it up.
"What?!" Upon hearing that name, Song Jing immediately flew into a rage.
The brush in his hand snapped directly.
Glaring at Song Qin, he roared furiously: "Where is that beast now?"
"Please calm down, Father, please calm down." Song Qin hurriedly soothed him. "I ran into him on the street by the inn. I don't know exactly where he's living now. When I mentioned you, Father, he was also very frightened."
"Frightened? He knows how to be afraid?" Song Jing clenched his fists.
"I think he must know to be afraid..." Song Qin thought of her plan and directly implemented it. "He told me that when he fell into the water, he seemed to have been possessed by evil spirits and had some inauspicious dreams. That caused his mind to be muddled and confused all day. I asked him if he knew about breaking through the main gate. Father, guess what he said?"
Song Jing stared at Song Qin, impatiently saying: "What did he say?"
"He completely didn't know about it!"
Song Qin suddenly became serious and mystical.
"Is that really so?"
Song Jing found it hard to believe.
"He doesn't dare go home but doesn't know the reason why he doesn't dare go home." Song Qin continued. "When I mentioned you, Father, he trembled. That look really didn't seem fake."
Due to Song Qin's description, Song Jing visibly softened, his expression becoming uncertain.
So Song Qin took advantage of the momentum and said: "He's afraid of you, Father. Afraid that if he goes back he'll be beaten to death. So he asked me to test your feelings. As long as you don't beat him to death—even if you beat him into disability or half to death—he still wants to come home."
His brow furrowed as Song Jing fell into hesitation.
After a while, his expression grew solemn as he slowly spoke: "Since he was possessed by evil spirits, then I won't beat him. I'll find an exorcist to drive out the demons. But the matter of drinking with those worthless friends and losing face can't go unpunished."
"Father, are you serious?"
Song Qin asked in surprise.
He won't let him into the estate and then beat him to death, will he?
"I am." Song Jing said. "Have him come back in the evening. The side gate will be open for him with no guards. I'll personally wait for him in the main hall. As long as he admits his guilt, the matter of being possessed will be forgiven."
"Then good, Father. I'll send someone to tell him right away."
"Mm."
Just like that, Song Jing watched Song Qin leave his study.
After the door closed, his face instantly turned dark and terrifying.
"Possessed by evil spirits? What bullshit."
"Just you wait till you come back."
"I'll see if I don't beat you to death!"
………
"Miss, Young Master Shi'an said he'll return before the Hour of Hai tonight."
After a servant reported this news to Song Qin, she excitedly passed the message to Song Jing.
"I understand. At the Hour of Hai, I'll wait for him in the main hall."
"Yes, Father."
After facilitating this matter, Song Qin's whole world suddenly became brighter.
If it weren't for that annoying Song Ce, she had been living quite well at home.
Now, Father found fault with her everywhere.
Saying she had no feminine grace, saying she didn't properly study or play the qin, even calling her spoiled and foolish, that she basically had no good points whatsoever.
Fortunately, Song Shi'an was coming back.
He'd be scolded for the flower house drinking incident from before.
This time he'd be scolded again for failing the juren examination for the third time.
When Song Ce passed the juren exam and went to become an official, this guy would be at home alone being a parasite and would continue to be scolded.
Those days would be much better!
Thinking of this, Song Qin felt the future was bright.
And at the Hour of Hai, Song Jing sat in the seat of honor in the main hall, a trace of cunning appearing on his stern face.
The corner of his mouth also curved upward in an arc.
This room seemed to have only him alone.
But in reality, behind the screen hid a full ten household guards.
Each one held a wooden rod, ready to strike.
As long as that brat dared to enter, this Hongmen Feast would be sealed.
Making friends with worthless people, going to live dissolute lives, even forgetting his status and breaking through the main gate, and actually thinking that just because he passed some mere juren examination he could turn things around?
You piece of shit, I'll see if I don't beat you to death.
Only if you survive do you deserve to be my son.
Song Jing was originally an impatient person.
But for some reason, when doing this sort of thing, he was especially patient.
Just like that, he sat in the chair in the main hall, patiently waiting from the Hour of Hai until the Hour of Zi.
Then from the Hour of Zi, he waited until the Hour of Chou.
Before he knew it, the rooster crowed.
"You bastard, I'll kill you!"
Realizing he'd been stood up, Song Jing suddenly stood up, veins bulging, battle intent at maximum.
………
After Wang Shuishan woke up, he saw Song Shi'an lying on the bed, one hand supporting his head, the other holding that book Spring Garden. Unable to help feeling some shameful curiosity, he asked: "What's this book about?"
Song Shi'an looked at him and revealed a mysterious smile: "Something good."
"Then I won't ask."
Wang Shuishan hurriedly averted his interested gaze, then mused: "It's already the third day. They should have determined the juren by now, right? What do you think the Grand Secretaries at the Imperial Academy are doing now?"
"I don't know what the Grand Secretaries are doing, but I know what my little sister is doing."
"Huh?"
………
Song Estate, courtyard.
Song Qin, whose palms had been beaten red, knelt in the center of the courtyard, tears streaming down her face as she cursed to the heavens: "Song Shi'an, I hate you!!!"